After a lot of prototyping and experimentation, we finally have the Steam Controller. It’s coming soon, and it will be quite different from anything that we have been used to yet. Valve figured as much, and so, to walk us through their new design, they released a new promo video, that you can see above.
Honestly, the video makes for a great, compelling case for the controller- it works as advertised and promised, apparently, with the trackpad allowing for the 1:1 control and precision that is usually the domain of keyboard/mouse control schemes. It offers universal button re-mapping on a game by game basis, and even the ability to share, upload, and download your control schemes online to the Steam community. It also has dual digital/analog switches for the triggers, which would make competitive play a little easier.
It looks like a pretty substantial step forward for controller design, which, apart from some of Nintendo’s experiments, has been largely stuck in a rut for nearly two decades now. The Steam Controller will be $49, and it launches this Fall. Stay tuned.